Beauty and the Beast (1946)

This is one of the most beautiful and romantic movies ever. Directed by Jean Cocteau in black and white, in French, is so worth seeing. It is so romantic I want to swoon when I see it! It is visually dazzling! It is surreal, with a corridor of disembodied human arms grasping candelabra that burst into flame as Beauty passes by, Beauty's tear drops turning into diamonds as she weeps over the Beast's fate, and flowing material everywhere.

There are some comic scenes, too, preventing the film from being overwhelming. If you can get your kids to watch, they, too, will enjoy the movie. The theme, of course, is that we should not care about others just based on appearances.

This is also a movie about love: the love which grows between Beauty and the Beast, the love between Beauty and her father, and the lack of love that her sisters have for Beauty.

It is truly a masterpiece with something for everyone. It is also the most accessible Cocteau movie, who is better known as a film surrealist. In this movie, he creates a complete fantastic world. It is amazing what he created, especially in view of how limited the technology was at the time.

The next time you are looking for something different, with no shooting or explosions, make this your movie!

DIRECTOR: Jean Cocteau.  CAST: Jean Marais, Josette Day, Marcel Andre.